Johnson's game speaks volumes as Bengals roll past Saints

Nov 19, 2006 - 9:31 PM
NEW ORLEANS (Ticker) -- Two weeks after complaining about not
getting the ball, Chad Johnson is rewarding the Cincinnati
Bengals for calling his number.

Johnson matched a career high with three touchdown catches to
spark the Bengals to a 31-16 triumph over the New Orleans
Saints in an interconference contest.

Drew Brees threw for a franchise-record 510 yards and two
touchdowns for the Saints, but was also intercepted three times.

Following a 26-20 loss to the Baltimore Ravens on November 5,
the brash Johnson voiced his frustration with the offense,
referring to himself as little more than a "nice hood ornament."

But the controversial wide receiver has been the engine to the
Bengals' offense over the last two weeks, hauling in 17
receptions for 450 yards and five TDs.

"It's good to see Chad back and that other 85 character went
somewhere else," Cincinnati coach Marvin Lewis said. "So that's
good. Obviously, it feels good to win. What we've done over
the last two to three weeks ultimately paid off today."

Battling an injured hamstring, Johnson once again carried the
Bengals (5-5), who visit in-state rival Cleveland (3-7) next
week before hosting AFC North Division leader Baltimore (8-2) on
November 30.

"This was a necessary victory," he said. "We've got to get back
to it next week. It ain't gonna get any easier. We're going
to Cleveland, going to the Dawg Pound."

Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer agreed with his favorite
target, emphasizing the importance of his team's second win in
its last seven games.

"It's been tough losing five of the last six," Palmer said. "We
stuck together and kept working. Our practices were the same
as when we were 3-0. We understand that we were underachieving
and hadn't put a good game together. But we came out today and
did that."

With the score tied, 10-10, early in the fourth quarter Sunday,
Johnson delivered the first of two knockout blows, catching a
perfectly thrown pass from Palmer and racing down the left
sideline for a 60-yard TD.

"They had a good defense called," said Palmer, who scrambled to
his left before lofting a pass against his momentum. "We got
lucky. With Chad running, I just had to put enough air under
the ball to get it to him. It wasn't like he was covered and I
had to make a perfect throw."

"It was a broken play," Johnson added. "Carson scrambled out of
the pocket. Nobody was back there with me. I just put my hand
up and he saw me."

It was the second score of the game for Johnson, who also hauled
in a four-yard TD reception with 7:37 remaining to give
Cincinnati a 24-10 lead.

The Bengals sealed the victory four plays later, when rookie
safety Ethan Kilmer intercepted Brees and returned it 52
yards for his first career TD, pushing the advantage to 31-10.

"I have to give credit to our defensive line for putting
pressure on the QB," Kilmer said. "I did my part and came up
with the interception."

"(Kilmer) will keep growing up and getting better," Lewis added.
"It's great when your hard work pays off and you make a big
play like that in a big game. He'll never forget that, and
neither will I."

Johnson finished with six receptions for 190 yards while Palmer
went 14-of-22 for 275 yards and an interception. Rudi Johnson
ran for 111 yards on 27 carries for Cincinnati, which forced
four turnovers despite yielding 595 total yards.

"They threw us the ball and we caught the ball," Lewis said.
"The yardage doesn't really matter when you have a lead like
that. They're going to throw the ball; a lot of verticals and
they checked the ball down."

Brees completed 37-of-52 passes and shattered his previous
career best of 398 yards set in last week's 38-31 loss at
Pittsburgh.

"We just need to evaluate where we're at and just look at the
fact that we can move the ball at will," said Brees, who also
shattered Aaron Brooks' franchise record of 441 passing yards.
"Any time, any place we can move the ball through the air or on
the ground, whatever it takes."

Devery Henderson had nine receptions for 169 yards for the
Saints (6-4), who have lost three of their last four.

"I told the team that the only thing that we can do now is go
back to work this week," New Orleans coach Sean Payton said.
"It was a tough loss, our second in a row now. We have to get
this seventh win."

"When it really comes down to it, you have to take care of the
football," Brees added. "You have to convert on third down,
which we've been very good at for the last three weeks and
really the whole season."

The Saints may have to press on without leading receiver Marques
Colston, who suffered a sprained ankle in the first quarter and
missed the remainder of the contest. The 6-4 rookie entered
the contest leading the NFL with 869 receiving yards and seven
touchdown catches.

"You have to move on when a player is injured," said Payton, who
would not disclose Colston's status for next week's contest at
division rival Atlanta. "They had players on their team that
were also hurt. That's just the way it is, and you have to deal
with it."

Brees was not as optimistic about the loss of his favorite
target.

"Of course it hurts because obviously Marques is a huge part of
what we do," Brees said. "He's having a great season."